National Republican., 1887-02-14
TIE PENSION VETO.
The Press OF tho Country on the Pres
Ident,s Latest Message,


st. Louis Globe Democrat: It need hardly
be said that any one Of the Republican
Presidents would have signed this bill. But
Mr.. Cleveland's veto Of Il will surprise no
body.
New York Times There Is no trace OF
hesitancy In the message, no evidence that
the President ever for moment allowed
the possible effect of veto upon his per-
sonal popularity or political fortunes to re-
strain him from the performance Of duty
imposed upon him by his sober convictions
and his sense OF responsibility to the whole
body Of the people.
New York Star: 1t is difficult to COM
mend the Presidents action too highly.
That 1t will be approved by the vast ma
jority OF his countrymen there is no Ques-
tion. That the committee will commit
foolish blunder should It make serious
effort to pass the job over the veto is
equally clear. Besides, the attempt would
fail. The dishonesty, to say nothing OF the
defects, OF the bill has been too thoroughly
exposed for those who conceived the mon
strosity to hope 1t can ever become law.
Richmond Wing: Once more has Presi
dent Cleveland's frmness and executive
integrity stood the country In good stead
and saved the public treasury from an an
nuhl drain OF over $50 100000. In vetoing
the pauper pension bill he has signalized
his devotion to public duty In the way that
will command the respect and confidence
Of good citizens Of all sections and parties,
and which will not be in the least lessened
by the howls Of the "bloody shirt" press.
All honor to Grover Cleveland, the trusted
guardian Of the public funds.
Richmond Dispdtch' 1t was, indeed,
great responsibility, for the President may
naturally expect to have his motives i'm
pugned, his actions misconstrued, and his
| patriotism questioned by those who hope
| to make partisan capital out Of the veto, as
well as by another large class OF lobbyists,
| pension agents, bummers, and shlftless
| loafeis who will be disappointed In theil
| schemes for plundering the national treas,
ury. But we have too high an opinion OF
| the intelligence and patriotism OF the
masses of the people, including the better
class Of ex.soldiers, to believe that he will
suffer in their estimation by vetolug an i'm
| proper measure.
Chicago Times The President has rem
| dertd another important public service In
his veto Of the INDECENT soldiers aud de.
| iendent parent pension bill The bill Is
| one of the most iniquitous Of the various
schemes for emptyiug the national treasury
that have been brought forward in the
| present Congress. 1t proposes to add to
the pension rolls the names Of au indeter
| VI hu ONGTWuClW-
| ing majority of whom have no equitable
claim whatever upon the bounty of the
government, and to open wide the doors
for frauds upon the treasury, compared
with which those heretofore perpetratei
under cover Of pension legislation would be
thrown into insignifcance.
Louisville C0Wici-,JoWnal. Now the
President is talking. At lens tn he stops
whittling and begins to chop wood. His veto
of the dependent pension bill is excellently
well done In conception aud In execution,
ful people OF all classes. The act was a
villainy, and its passage was an outrage and
scandal, and, by Withholding his assent
to IL, the President checks the tide Of wan
ton expenditure and saves the country,
not merely great sum Of money, but a
grievous decentralization. The boys in the
trenches will see nothing in this unworthy
Of their applause, or OF Democratic Pres
ident Of their election, and will, to that
extent, warm to Mr.. Cleveland in the old
fashioned, hearty, Democratic way.
Chicago Ne,Us In vetoing the "depend-
ent ''pension bill President Cleveland has
once more demonstrated the possession of
that rare thing In politics-a rigid back
| bone. The scope of his message returning
the bill without approval shows the thought
and research he considered necessary to
fortify him in the stand he has taken. But,
aside from the argument he has made to
justify his decision, his action is based on
the broadest grounds of public policy.
Whatever politicians may say, aud however
the pension agents and army leeches may
clamor against this veto, 1t will be approved
by the tax payers OF both parties, aud will
be welcomed by the honest pensioners as
drawing proper line between the deserv-
ing and the unworthy survivors of the
Union army.
| Cleveland Lcddcr: The President vetoed
the INDECENT soldiers bill after all. The
fact created some Indignation among friends
of the soldiers IN Congress and among tse
veterans themselves when they heard the
news, 1t having been made public only Just
before the Senate adjourned this evening.
| Mr.. Cleveland seems to have strong an
tipathy to pension bills, and, as during the
last session, he is doing great deal OF the
veto business FIX soldiers on the Demo
cratic side of the House declare that while
at one time It looked as though Cleveland
would be renomnated without opposition,
he has aroused so much opposition to him
self among the people OF the loyal states
that he cannot again be the candidate eX-
ccpt after so hard fight that the party will
emerge from its national convention prac-
tically divided.
Philadelphia Ne,rS. The tone OF the Pres
ident's veto message is scharacterized as one
of indifference, II not of lily concealed hos
tihty to the claims OF deserving soldiers OF
the Union, In the second place, the Presl-
dents references to pensioners and pension
claimants are regarded as little, II at all
short of brutal and insulting. There may be
some men on the pension rolls who got there
by false swearing, but, as rule, the dis
abled pensioners of the Union are truthful
honest, and patriotic. More careful study
Of this part Of the message may relieve the
President to some extent OF the criticism
that in order to justify his disapproval OF
the pending bill he was willing to charge
even by inference that pensioners and pen
sion claimants, as a rule, are ready to bt
the active and willing tools of dishonest
claim agents.
New York Journal: The so-called pau
per pension bill did not deserve to becom,
a law. 1t was upon its face an insult to tho
brave survivors of our national struggle
Tens OF thousands OF men Joined the UnioI
armies with a sincere desire to put down th,
rebellion and to preserve the Union. They
left money making TO unprincipled con
tractors and shrinking camp followers
They never thought Of gain. Such of th,
survivors as have been disabled through
wounds or disease have natural right Il
expect indemnity, from the governmen
they preserved. Unwounded veterans wht
are able to make their own living are tot
Independent to become pensioners upon
too-heavily burdened nations bounty. Tn
time may come when a generous peopl
may force the siver-haired survivor to &C
cept comfortable pension for old age, bu
that time is not yet.
Hartford COTdHE The President ha
vetoed the dependent pension bill. Afte
the reasons he has assigned for vetoing nu
merous individual pension bills where tn
proof was not clear that the disability o
The applicant was the result OF service II
the army or navy, he could not honestl,
find II possible to approve general pension
bill which proposed TO grant pensions b.